Volume 1
A course of lectures on natural philosophy and the mechanical arts / by Thomas Young.
- Thomas Young
- Date:
- 1845
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A course of lectures on natural philosophy and the mechanical arts / by Thomas Young. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.
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![inventions of all kinds, we may proceed in the most direct manner to con- tribute to the dissemination of that kind of knowledge which is most ])arti- cularly our object. So that we must be more practical than academies of sciences, and more theoretical than societies for the improvement of arts ; while we endeavour at the same time to give stability to our proceedings by an annual recurrence to the elementary knowledge which is subservient to the purposes of both ; and, as far as we are able, to apply to practice the newest lights which may from time to time be thrown on particular branches of mechanical science. It is thus that we may most effectually perfoi'in what the idolized sophists of antiquity but verbally professed, to bring down philosophy from the heavens, and to make her an inhabitant of the earth. To those who are engaged in the practical cultivation of various arts subservient to the conveniences of life, these lectures may be of some utility, by furnishing them with well estabhshed principles, applicable to a vai'iety of cases which may occasionally occur to them, where a little deviation from the ordinary routine of their profession may be necessary. Unfortunately, the hands that execute are too often inadequately sup- ported by the head that directs ; and much labour is lost for want of a little previous apphcation to the fundamental doctrines of the mechanical sciences. Nor is any exorbitant portion of time or industry necessary for this purpose; for it happens singularly enough, that almost all practical applications of science depend on principles easily learnt; and, except in astronomy only, it has seldom been found that very abstnise investigations have been of great importance to society. Our most refined analytical calculations are by far too impeifect to apply to all jiossible cases of me- chanical actions that can be proposed ; and those problems which most frequently occur, may in general be solved by methods sufficiently obvious ; although, from a want of proper order and perspicuity in the treatment of first principles, it has often happened that the most ele- mentary propositions have been considered as requiring great study and application. We may also be able to render an important service to society, and to confer a still more essential benefit on individuals, by repressing the pre- mature zeal of unskilful inventors. We need only read over the monthly accounts of patents, intended for securing the pecuniary advantages of useful discoveries, in order to be convinced what expense of time and for- tune is continually lavished on the feeblest attempts to innovate and improve. If we can be succcessful in convincing such inconsiderate enthusiasts of their real ignorance, or if we can shew them, that even their own fairy ground has been pre-occupied, we may save them from impending ruin, and may relieve the jiublic from the distraction of having its atten- tion perpetually excited by unworthy objects. The ridicule attendant on the name of a projector has been in general but too well deserved ; for few, very few, who have aspired at improvement, have ever had the patience to submit their inventions to such experimental tests as common sense would suggest to an impartial observer. We may venture to affirm that out of every hundred of fancied improvements in arts or in machines, B 2](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21301840_0001_0037.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
